Hodgson thrilled to see England players come together as a unit

England manager Roy Hodgson has revealed it joys him to see his squad come together to form a cohesive unit.

The Three Lions have a strong spirit within the playing group which was evident in them topping Group D at Euro2012 with solid performances against France (1-1), Sweden (3-2) and Ukraine (1-0) and the boss is pleased to be coaching such a close collection.

"I've been very happy with the way these players have really worked for each other and seeing the way they are after the games, and seeing the way they congratulate each other," Hodgson said ahead of Sunday's quarter-final against Italy.

"That's something I've got to be pleased about and something to keep working on."

About the author

Andrew Slevison is an avid sports fan, particularly of the world game. The Melbourne, Australia native, who has spent time living in London and travelling South America, takes a keen interest in the English Premier League and Major League Soccer and rates his best live footballing moment as the 2014 World Cup final in Brazil.